Ghostrider: Highway to Hell
by Knight of Tabitha
Summary: If you thought it was the end of Grant Ward you were wrong. Watch as he embarks on his own journey to discover his destiny and fight for his soul. New enemies and allies surface in this thrilling tale of salvation and damnation that test the very foundations of morality and what it means to be human and brings Ward to the very heart of darkness.
1. Chapter 1

**We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell. -Oscar Wilde**

Ward stood in the hospital chapel leaning on a stone wall next to a cross shaped window careful to avoid the light. He'd been through a lot in recent months he remembered Coulson killing him and dying. He thought that was it but it wasn't next thing he knew he was in chains had burning red meat hooks digging into his skin and was surrounded by people he knew mostly SHIELD agents all suffering and begging for the end.

Ward soon realized that was what hell was begging for the end only to realize the end has already come and gone. Centuries passed in hell or as it was really known the Nether World. Ward had resigned himself to his fate. Then he woke up in a hospital with a new name Johnny Blaze.

For a while he was told his life as he thought it was, was just a delusion brought on by his coma that was a result of his injuries in a motor cycle accident. Ward's head was fuzzy and he was recovering from well everything so he went with it. Maybe part of him even wanted to believe the lie.

He soon learned it wasn't a total lie. Ward met his biological father Barton Blaze through his lawyer a man named Donald Blake. Barton offered Ward a job as a mechanic and they became close it wasn't long before Ward learned the truth he found all sorts of stuff on the occult in Barton's office. Barton was researching how to kill demons particularly one named Mephistopheles.

At first Ward thought Barton was crazy after all aliens and other dimensions were one thing but magic and demons that was another level. That was when he saw a group of guys attack a woman. Maybe it was the time he spent with Barton but he felt compelled to do something. He intervened and got his ass kicked almost died that was when he transformed into that thing.

He didn't waste time he confronted Barton and learned his bio dad had sold his soul to a demon named Mephistopheles. The Demon didn't just want a soul though it wanted Barton's son who inherited a peace of some magic soul amulet just like Naomi and all members of the Kale clan but Barton didn't know until it was too late so Barton and Naomi gave Ward up to another family the Wards and they did it under the table so no one would know.

That's why they were at this chapel to protect Barton who now was dying and was about to get a visit from Mephisto. There was a loop hole however if what Ward read was true Mephisto couldn't cross on to holy ground. If Barton died on holy ground and enough time passed for him to move on Mephisto would be out of a soul.

Needless to say Ward felt a swarm of emotions he thought he knew everything about himself he thought life was simple you were born you lived you died end of story. He had since, being killed by Coulson learned it wasn't so simple.

"How could you do it Barton?" He asked starting to cry a little bit.

"It wasn't like that John-" Barton then stopped himself from talking taking a minute to correct himself "I mean Grant. God how did…" He shook his head fight his tears. "how did it come to this? When your mother Naomi and I gave you up we… never thought."

"What I'd end up with a psycho family from hell." Ward scoffed.

"Hey!" Barton yelled. "It may have been a shitty thing to do but we thought… we thought it was the best way to hide you from that man that thing." Barton looked up at Ward his face full of regret.

"So how did it happen? What did he offer you? Money, fame, what is the going rate for someone's soul?"

"It wasn't like that John I mean Grant. Your mother was diagnosed with cancer after we learned she was pregnant with you. It wasn't like it is now treatments weren't… the woman I loved was dying and my own son with her! What was I supposed to do? Let you both die? I didn't know who he was. How could I? Naomi never told me about her family's shall we say unusual history with him." Barton shook his head "He came to me in the freaking eleventh hour! When you were both dying held himself out as some doctor offering a rare and promising treatment! I was desperate you were both dying. I thought what did I have to lose. I didn't know who he was let alone what he was!"

Ward was about to speak when he heard thunder from outside. Already the storm clouds were covering the sky, making it dark. Ward gave Barton a worried look "He's here find somewhere to hide."

There was a flash of lightning that startle Ward and Barton followed by a voice Ward recognized it as the voice of Donald Blake "Oh come now really do you actually think there is a place to hide from me?"

Ward saw a dark figure standing at the entrance of the chapel "Go away."

The stranger was about the same size and age as Coulson with short red hair he dressed in an all red suit complete with red gloves he walked with a cane that had a handle shaped like demon's skull. He chuckled "Now Ward or should I say Johnny? I mean I'm sure you feel like you've been hit with a curve ball but still you can't really want to save this-" The man paused to give Barton a look of superiority and disgust "sad excuse for a human being. I can't imagine how confused you must feel."

"Shut up!" Ward screamed pulling out a gun.

Red Suit just laughed "Really I bring you back from the dead and this is the thanks I get? Sorry but I didn't put all this time and energy into just to let it all go to shit!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Hell?" Red suit laughed "Oh you have no idea. Tell me does this look familiar?" Red Suit waved his hand in front of his face changing his form.

Ward nearly lost his composer he couldn't believe the face staring back at him "You?"

Red Suit chuckled "Yeah me. I guess you and I haven't been truly properly introduced my real name is Mephistopheles friends call me Mephisto. Now come on I'm sure we can make a deal Grant or should I call you Johnny Blaze?"

A look of devastation filled Ward's face as he slowly realized a truth he'd been to blind, crazy, and stupid to see "It was all a lie wasn't it?"

"And the award for understatement of the century goes to…" Mephisto pretended to open up an imaginary envelope "Grant Ward come on down! In all honesty though why do you care what happens to this schmuck Grant? Your soul is already damned I pulled you out of the fire myself if not for me you'd still be there. What did he give you huh? A life loneliness with a foster family that treated you like crap?

"I gave you direction! I gave you purpose!" Mephisto screamed then quickly calmed himself and straightened his tie "Come on Grant. I've been more of a father to you than this nobody! What do you say? Kill this loser taint the holy ground you're on let me pass through I'll drag his soul to hell and we can go back to the good old days with you working for me." Mephisto's eyes narrowed into a glare aimed at Barton his tone went from pleasant and charming scary and threatening "It's not a weakness is it Ward?"

Ward glared at Mephisto his stance became more firm his grip on the gun "Yeah I guess HE is and it's not Grant Ward anymore it's Johnny, Johnny Blaze. I screwed up the first time around but I'm done making the wrong choices. So Garrette, Mephisto or whatever your name is go back to hell!"

Mephisto smirked "Just wait Johnny you'll find as a master less ghostrider the universe is a very lonely place I mean hell doesn't want you well my hell anyway and heaven sure won't have you after all the lives you've taken which is funny since no SHIELD agent is in heaven. You're not even human anymore there's no place for you except by my side."

"Goodbye John." Ward no Johnny then watched his enemy vanish in a puff of red smoke. He went back to Barton who had collapsed the cancer was finally getting to him. "Is there anything I can do… Dad?"

"No. Johnny I made my bed time I accept it." The storm cleared and the light shinned through the chapel. The light came through the windows striking the cross casting a shadow on both men.

Barton's breathing became heavy and his son could tell he was dying "Listen to me Johnny nobody in this world ever made it through without doing some kind of wrong. You got a second chance at life take it do some good in this world." Then Barton's eyes closed.

"Dad? Dad!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Some loves have to be given up, others have to be forgotten. Strange as it may sound, if you think of me as a monster, but I can love most passionately. I do not think of my myself as evil. -Christopher Pike_

Some Years Later...

The Nether World…

Mephisto still maintaining the form of his human alias John Garrette walked along a stone bridge the sounds of damned souls crying out for mercy were like sweet music to his ears. After a little strole through his domain he arrived in in his throne room. Well it wasn't a throne room as much as a giant cliff with a stone chair at the top.

Before the throne were a small group of armored snarling demons. They were practically foaming at the mouth aching for some battle. Mephisto snapped his fingers and a demon wrapped in a black cape, his face muzzled, and holding a rose appeared.

"What can I do for you my glorious master?" Darklove asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Tell me Darklove when was the last time you were in the world of the living?" Mephisto asked casually.

"Well… here it's been thousands upon thousands of years. There I imagine it's been a few decades if not centuries." Darklove said stroking his chin. The thing you should know is that demons regardless of whether they started out as human or not all had one thing in common. They were all just a bunch of back stabbing psychotic murderers that made the folks at hydra look like a convent. At best they were often frenemies at worst well I'm sure you get the idea.

"I'd like to offer you a job Darklove and as a bonus I'll let you settle some unfinished business top side first. An old buddy of mine I think he calls it finding closure." Mephisto let out a weak laugh thinking of the irony.

"Closure? Is that what the kids are calling revenge nowadays?" Darklove asked amused while combing his red hair.

"Well it's what my old buddy called it. Any way these last couple of years he's been stubborn causing all sorts of trouble for me top side. I need you to give him a nudge. Make him see how pointless his fight his."

"Fine as long as I get my closure first." Darklove agreed "Oh can I have some for myself to? All work and all you know?"

Mephisto grinned "By all means. Oh I have a few suggestions." Mephisto took out a pen and notepad he wrote down some names tore off the paper and handed it to Darklove.

"Hmm let me guess all people from your time as John Garrette?"

"Some yeah. You know that I idea I had way back starting up both the Order of the Shield and HYDRA. Really is working out for me. Every time someone signs up to join either they are unknowingly signing their souls away!" Mephisto burst out laughing "And the best part they'd still end up here anyway with all the evil crap they already do in the name of good."

Darklove didn't say anything he found it best to just let Mephisto talk until he was done which could care a while seriously once Mephisto didn't stop talking for like a year. A lot of the damned souls started cutting off their ears just to hear him stop talking.

"Alright then Mephisto I'll take my leave." Darklove then left by fading away.

Death Valley…

Johnny was awakened by the sound of sledge hammers hitting the stone walls down stairs. He had forgotten what it was like living people but even so this too much. In a rage he grabbed a his pillows and threw them across the room and hoping it would pass the time he was done he showered and got ready for the day but even then the sounds of hard working men doing renovations would not stop.

Finally, an angry Johnny had enough after throwing on his jacket he went out of his room looked down at the lower floor where his partners Blade and Dr. Strange were fixing out the building.

"Enough with the racket!" Johnny yelled.

"Ah Johnny how nice of you to join us this after noon. Maybe you can help with the renovations after all." Strange said smiling.

Blade smirked "You slept in man it's like three o'clock in the afternoon. We started working at like six a.m. in the morning."

Johnny grumbled rubbing his forehead "There's a six a.m. really?" He'd changed in the last couple of years he went from psychopathic assassin to a barely functioning alcoholic living the rocker lifestyle minus being an actual rocker. _Oh Skye if you could see me now._ He thought to himself.

He also saved people from time to time. For a while he was drinking buddies with a woman named Jessica Jones they had a lot in common like shame, self-loathing, and a drinking problem. There was one thing he learned from her though the key to forgetting your troubles was by drowning them with good old fashioned alcoholism.

Still feeling groggy Johnny hurried down to the lower floor. He didn't expect them to understand why he drank. He did it because if he kept to himself at the worst bars and drank he that way he wouldn't see the people he hurt and they wouldn't see him either. Then again it didn't really matter some ugly alien inhuman thing had hijacked his original body so the odds of them thinking Johnny Blaze and Grant Ward had any connection was slim to none.

He often wondered how he could be here on Earth though and how It could be walking around on Earth to. Then he would remember Strange's number one rule for magic and that was when it comes to magic fuck logic. Strange met him during his time with Jessica and talked Johnny into being part of a secret program the Avengers were running it was so secret not even SHIELD knew about it.

The idea was that the Avengers couldn't be everywhere and with that an idea was put into play to protect the world small groups of heroes would be formed across the globe. These groups or Secret Avengers would act covertly and do the work the main Avengers couldn't in addition should SHIELD or whoever were to pose a threat or go too far and take out the main Avengers the Secret Avengers would act as the resistance.

Johnny didn't even know he was part of this grand plan until a few months after Strange recruited him. He didn't even know there was anyone else like him of the supernatural variety. He didn't even like the phrase grand plan because it made him think about what happened on Maveth. Then again how many times had Coulson made a big deal about working for SHIELD being the epitome of good? When anybody and everybody outside of Coulson's little clique knew SHIELD was full of it.

Case in point how many people died as collateral damage in their war against HYDRA? Johnny always secretly wanted to ask Coulson just what exactly SHIELD did to make the world safe because from where he was standing all Coulson and Daisy and whoever did was gather gifted people and horde alien tech. They did nothing to cure disease or solve world hunger.

Looking back the only one he really liked was Skye or Daisy back when she was a rebel without a cause and all about making the world a better place. Then she went all hard core SHIELD fangirl he always thought it was funny how quickly she hopped on the SHIELD wagon. He knew deep down she didn't really like SHIELD she was still that little orphan girl just wanting a family.

That's why he tried to reunite her with her father. He thought he could make it up to her by giving her family she always wanted then she had to be a stone cold bitch and shoot him. Then came Kara she was such an angel. That dick Whitehall screwed up her head all because of Bobbi she got off easy and for some reason he got labeled a monster for getting back at the bitch who ruined his girlfriend's life.

 _Really if someone screwed your head up and you found out it happened because you got ratted out would you not want to kill that rat or make said rat suffer?_ He thought to himself. That was when he heard fingers snapping in front of him he soon realized it was Doctor Strange both he and Blade were giving Johnny strange looks "Uh guys why are you looking at me like that?"

"He's doing it Strange."

"Yep he is."

"Doing what?"

"Oh you know what." Blade replied "You brood and start thinking about shit you don't like talking about."

"What? I don't do that!" Johnny exclaimed defensively.

Blade and Dr. Strange looked at each other and smirked "Yeah you do." They both said in unison.

"Look Johnny we know you're not going to betray us so don't worry I mean I did a scan of your mind remember?" Dr. Strange asked.

"You read my mind?" Johnny asked taking a step back.

"Relax the main Avengers have me do it to everyone. I even scanned Blade's mind." Dr. Strange admitted speaking in an assuring tone.

"Wait you did what to me now?" Blade asked also taking a step back.

"Oh come on you two! You guys aren't exactly shining examples of goodness. Blade you've killed many vampires indiscriminately sometimes even humans whose only mistake was being in the same club as those vampires and Johnny we know how far down under you've been so why wouldn't I scan both your minds to make sure you should be part of the Secret Avengers."

"Fine you win but we're going to get you back for this mark my words." Johnny smiled while crossing his arms.

"You bet your white ass we're getting even with you." Blade smirked.

Just then the three felt a cold wind blow through their home it gave them all an eerie feeling like somewhere something horrible was about to transpire.

Asguard, Lady Sif's bed chambers…

Darklove appeared in the bedroom of Sif she looked as beautiful as ever and so helpless as she slept he could in truth watch her all night. _But alas I cannot._ He thought looking down on her as he ran his hand down her face "I've missed you my love have you missed me?"

Darklove withdrew his hand once she turned he didn't want her to wake up. Darklove was in life her lover until Lorelei came along. He died a miserable death and was damned for it he should have gone to Hel but instead Mephisto snatched his sould and cast him into the depths of the Nether World where he became Darklove a twisted and wretched shell of his former self.

He earned his new name Darklove because he perhaps as sadistic punishment from those above developed powers similar to those of Lorelei's-except his power influenced both genders- as well as an obsession with tormenting lovers. His obsession was born from his torment he was forced to watch others in the world of the living fall in love and screw it all up yet never separate if infuriated him people were so ungrateful men and women alike they did not appreciate how wonderful love was he did. That's why he had come for closure.

He moved effortlessly to Sif's dresser and opened a drawer careful to not make a sound. He found an old dagger and took it out clearly it hadn't seen the light of day in ages. "I knew you had issues but this just screams the need for professional help my love." He then unsheathed the blade finding dried blood his blood on the blade.

He then remembered his mortal death she was on top of him and those beautiful breasts were pressing against his chest. "Oh just thinking about it makes me so…" He thought of her being on top of him as he stuck his hand down his pants. Then he vanished.

Darklove reappeared in front the Lorelei's prison there were two female guards "Halt!" They took fighting stances but immediately after seeing him they dropped to their knees and started stripping off their armor and began screaming absurdities "Please marry me!" The first pleaded.

"Take me now! My life is nothing without you!" The second yelled

"Ladies now, now there will be time for fun later but right now I need you to open up that door and take me to Lorelei." Darklove said in a humble tone. His power only worked on two certain sexual orientations gay men and straight women. Bisexual men and women were a bit of a gray area it could go either way honestly.

His thralls obeyed and opened up the door he saw a restrained and muzzled Lorelei quickly recognize him but before she could even make a move of resistance the slight of him made her fall hard and in love with him.

He looked over at the two blond guards and made a silent motion to unshackle and unbridle Lorelei she immediately started fawning over Darklove "Tell me what to do my love!" She screamed."

Darklove yawned showing complete disinterested he took out the blade and gave it to Lorelei "Strip naked all of you." They all did as commanded and Lorelei took the blade "Good girl." Darklove smirked as he patted Lorelei like a dog. His eyes then grew narrow with anger "Now Lorelei I believe it's time we found closure together don't you?"


End file.
